Electric switch alarm



JoSep//famrowa ATTORNEYS April 18, 193 J. KOMOROWSKI ELECTRIC SWITCH ALARM Filed Aug. 19, 1936 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH ALARM Application August 19, 1936, Serial No. 96,889

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric alarms for mail boxes of dwellings and like establishments, and has for the primary object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device which may be 5 readily installed so that an audible signal will be made by the mail box being opened for the purpose of placing mail therein by the postman, thereby notifying the occupants of the dwelling of the leaving of mail permitting the removal 1 of said mail within a short period of time after the depositing thereof to reduce to a minimum the possibility of the mail being stolen.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following descrip- 20 tion and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating a mail box equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the same.

5 Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a movable contact.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a conventional type of mail box employed by dwellings and like establishments and 30 which has a hinged cover 2 easily moved into an open position for the purpose of permitting mail to be placed in and removed from the box. A switch 3 is supported by the box and operated by the movement of the cover 2 and forms a part 35 of an electric circuit 4. The circuit includes an audible alarm 5 and an electrical transformer 6 whereby the circuit may obtain its electricity from an ordinary electrical output of the establishment.

The switch 3 consists of a base I constructed w of insulating material located in the box and secured to the rear wall thereof. The base supports a fixed contact 8 connected to the electric circuit 4. Spaced brackets 9 are secured to the base and slida bly support a movable contact II]. The brackets and the movable contact II) are constructed of conductive material and one of the brackets is connected to the electric conductor 4. The movable contact is of elongated formation and has formed therein a notch I I, opposite walls of which are shaped to form spaced fulcrums I2 engaged by a lever I3 pivotally mounted on the (o1. zoo-5'1) base. The lever has a pin and slot connection with a slidable bar I4, one end of which is pivoted to a bracket I5 secured to the cover and the other end thereof is secured to a Spring I5 acting to urge the cover into closed position and 5 the contacts 8 and I0 apart.

A hook-shaped element I6 is slidably secured to the box for gripping between itself and the box newspapers and the like. A spring I! acts on the said element IE to urge the latter into grip- 10 ping position. A pivotally mounted link I8 has pin and slot connections with the element It and the bar I4 so that when said element is manually moved for positioning papers therein, the bar I4 will be moved to bring the contacts 8 and I0 into engagement for sounding the alarm 5.

The movement of the cover 2'into an open position imparts sliding movement to the contact I0 and brings the latter in, engagement with the contact 8, completing the electric circuit, thereby energizing the alarm 5. The circuit is broken immediately on the cover 2 being moved into closed position. Also, said circuit will be broken when the hook-shaped member I6 is slid into position for receiving a newspaper or like article. Thus it will be seen that when the cover 2 is swung to an open position for the purpose of placing mail into the box the alarm 5 will be actuated, notifying the occupants of the dwelling of the placing of mail in the box. It is to be understood that the alarm 5 may be located in any suitable place within. the dwelling.

Having described the invention, I claim:

An alarm for mail boxes comprising an insulated base mounted in a mail box, a fixed contact secured to said base, a movable contact slidably supported on said base, said movable contact being of elongated formation and provided with a notch having opposite walls thereof shaped to form spaced fulcrums, a lever pivoted on said base and received in the notch and contacting the fulcrums, a link pivoted to said lever and to a cover of the box, a spring operatively connected to said lever and constantly urging said lever to inoperative position, a second lever pivotally mounted in said box, link means connecting said second lever with said first lever, and a springpressed article supporting member slidably carried by said box and connected to said second lever.

JOSEPH KOMOROWSKI. 

